For the next few hours Kakashi ruthlessly trained Naruko and Haruto in everything there was to learn about chakra, taijutsu, genjutsu and using weapons. By the end of the training session, Haruto and Naruko had collapsed to the ground completely exhausted.
"I hate you so much Kakashi," Naruko said trying to regain her breath.
"You're evil Hatake," Haruto said too tired to even move.
"No pain no gain, also don't forget to meet me here tomorrow at 7 am for your next training session," Kakashi said eye smiling at their misery before body flickering away. Haruto and Naruko let out groans of pain hearing this. After lying there for several minutes Haruto and Naruko finally managed to recuperate enough energy to move and head back home. The following day they arrived at the training ground at 7 am like ordered, but Kakashi was nowhere to be found. It wasn't until three hours later that he finally arrived.
"YOU'RE LATE," Naruko shouted annoyed to have wasted so much time waiting for him to arrive.
"Sorry I met a black cat on my way here, so I had to take a detour to get here," Kakashi said eye smiling at them.
"LIAR," Naruko and Haruto shouted together.
"Anyway, are you ready for your training? Tomorrow is the day of your spar after all," Kakashi said calmly ignoring their outburst.
"I am yes, as long as I can beat Menma I don't care what you put me through," Haruto replied.
"Good I'm going to be pushing your limits today, I won't be holding anything back, and then later during the day you'll have a spar against Naruko to see how far you've progressed," Kakashi said.
So for the next several hours, Kakashi put them through their paces making sure they learnt as much as possible in such a short time. While he was training them he was also studying their growth rate. Naruko learnt things fairly fast but had a hard time learning to control anything that needed perfect chakra control. Not surprising considering her tenant but that didn't deter her from putting in as much effort as possible to learn the techniques.
Haruto, on the other hand, terrified him with his growth rate. It's like he was built for combat with the way he masters everything he is taught so fast. Haruto won't just settle for learning a technique he needs to master it as well, so he's extremely proficient at using it.
At the end of the day after training them for several hours he had them spar against each other. It was an impressive spar they both tried their hardest to win but in the end, Haruto managed to beat Naruko. He didn't just beat Naruko, he beat her by quite a good margin. Yesterday he couldn't defeat Naruko in a spar but after just one day of intense training, he can suddenly beat her. His growth rate really is terrifying.
I predict if he continues to train he'll be stronger than most Jounin when he's around 12 to 13 years old, maybe even younger. It's a good thing he's not an enemy ninja because he would be a terrifying opponent to face when he's an adult.
"That's enough training for today, head back home and get some rest, especially you, Haruto, you have a big day tomorrow," Kakashi said while reading his book.
"Don't worry I will, I want to be fully rested for tomorrow," Haruto said, his eyes burning with determination to win.
"Good to hear, I'll see you tomorrow for your spar then," Kakashi said before body flickering away.
"Let's go to Ichiraku Ramen to celebrate you winning your spar against me," Naruko said.
"You're just saying that because you want me to pay for your meals again," Haruto said already knowing he's going to end up paying for both of their meals.
"You did defeat me in a spar, it's only fair that you treat the loser to a meal, so there are no hard feelings," Naruko said smirking at him.
"Fine let's go," Haruto said with his head down in defeat.
"This is why you're my favourite friend," Naruko said with her arm wrapped around Haruto's arm dragging him to Ichiraku Ramen.
"I'm your only friend," Haruto said dryly.
"Details," Naruko said, waving his comment off as unimportant.
After having a meal at Ichiraku Ramen and emptying his wallet in order to pay for Naruko's meal, the two of them decided to relax on top of the Hokage's monument.
"This is my favourite spot in the entire village, the view you get up here is so beautiful," Naruko said admiring the view in front of her.
"It really is," Haruto said looking down at the village below.
"It would even be better without all the civilians in it," Naruko mumbled but Haruto still heard her.
"I take it you don't like the civilians of your village then?" Haruto asked.
"No, they're idiotic fools who can't think for themselves, and let anger blind them to the truth," Naruko said with rage in her voice.
"I take it this has something to do with the looks you receive from the civilians," Haruto said causing Naruko to freeze.
"You noticed that then," Naruko said in a defeated tone.
"It was hard not to, I just don't understand how the civilians could hate you," Haruto said confused.
"You will to if you found out the truth," Naruko said scared of losing her first friend.
"I don't think any less of you, you're my friend and always will be," Haruto said passionately, which Naruko caught.
"Very well, I might as well start at the beginning. What do you know about the attack 9 years ago?" Naruko asked.
"I know the Nine-Tails attacked your village and the Hokage somehow defeated it, and at the same time Voldemort tried to kill your sister but failed," Haruto said on everything he knew about the attack all those years ago.
"That's the official story told to outsiders but everyone in the village knows differently, the story the villagers know is the Nine-Tails suddenly appeared in the middle of the village causing mass destruction until Minato came along and sealed it into his youngest daughter me," Naruko said.
"You have a demon sealed inside of you," Haruto said surprised not knowing such a thing was possible.
"Those that have a demon sealed inside off them are called jinchuriki, there are nine of us in the world, and I just happened to have the strongest sealed inside off me," Naruko said bitterly. Haruto surprised Naruko by hugging her.
"Don't listen to those stupid villagers you're not a demon you're a human being and my friend," Haruto said avidly. Naruko burst out into tears seeing Haruto accepting her for what she carried and not thinking any less of her and hugged Haruto back, while he just calmly rubbed her back trying to comfort her.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you," Naruko said repeating over and over while crying into Haruto's chest.
"You have nothing to thank me for I only told the truth," Haruto said sadly seeing how much this had affected Naruko. For the next ten minutes, Naruko kept crying and Haruto comforted her before she calmed down.
"Thank you for not thinking I was a demon," Naruko said wiping her eyes.
"I would never of you as a demon," Haruto said. For the next several minutes the two just enjoyed each other's company and watched the view.
"Since you don't think I'm a demon I believe I can trust you with what really happened that night all those years ago," Naruko said breaking the relaxed atmosphere.
"What do you mean?" Haruto asked.
"I am the third jinchuriki the village has ever had; the first was Mito Uzumaki the wife of Hashirama Senju, the second I don't know the identity of, all I know she was pregnant at the time of the Nine-Tails attack, the third is me," Naruko said.
"I take it something happened to the second jinchuriki for the Nine-Tails to be sealed inside off you," Haruto said.
"What I'm about to tell you I found out from overhearing my parents talking and sneaking into Minato's office at home and reading his notes," Naruko said.
"Go ahead I won't interrupt you," Haruto said.
"When a jinchuriki is pregnant the seal holding the demon in place weakens, so the second jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails was moved somewhere secure while she gave birth, but somehow a masked man managed to infiltrate the site where she was giving birth and release the Nine-Tails."
"After fighting the masked man and making him retreat Minato collected me, I had just been born and newborn babies can handle becoming a jinchuriki much better than an adult, so Minato sealed the Nine-Tails inside of me."
"Just after having the Nine-Tails sealed inside of me Minato took my sister and me to a secure site that was only known to a few in case the masked man came after us, Minato then left us to check the damaged done by the Nine-Tails to the village, during this time Voldemort infiltrated the secure site and tried to kill my sister but for some unknown reason the Killing Curse backfired and killed him instead."
"Minato seeing how his oldest daughter had killed the Dark Lord believed she was the one mentioned in a prophecy given by the toads, so Minato announced to the village that Menma had defeated Voldemort making them worship the ground she walked on. While telling them I was the jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails making me a source of their anger for the losses they had suffered," Naruko resentfully said.
"I can't believe that's what really happened that night, I take it that's why your parents ignore you in favour of Menma because they believe she has something to do with a prophecy," Haruto said.
Minato sounds a lot like Merlin, trying to manipulate a prophecy to his favour, Morgan thought disgustingly.
I have to agree with you on that, Haruto said, equally disgusted as Morgan about the actions Minato had taken regarding his daughters.
"Yes they believe she needs to be fully prepared to fulfil the prophecy so they focus all their time and energy on Menma, this has caused her to become arrogant with all the attention she receives from my parents and the villagers, and she's also copied the villagers attitude towards me," Naruko said sadly.
"Why would Menma copy the villager's attitude towards you, you're both sisters you're supposed to love each other," Haruto said not understanding how someone couldn't love their sister with all their heart.
"I can only guess Menma seeing me be neglected by my parents believes I must be a demon like the villagers say I am, to deserve such treatment, and so she copies them," Naruko explained sadly.
"Don't worry, I'll win tomorrows spar for you, I'll even say you trained me so your family will see your potential, and rethink their actions off neglecting you," Haruto said trying to cheer her up.
"Really you would?" Naruko asked hopefully.
"I see no problem saying you trained me if it means helping you out," Haruto said earning a smile from Naruko.
"Thank you, I hope it will change my family's treatment of me," Naruko said.
"By the way, Naruko the masked man that released the Nine-Tails, did Minato ever figure out who it was?" Haruto asked, wondering who the masked man was that could go toe to toe with Minato, the strongest shinobi alive.
"Minato has no idea, he's never been able to find a trace of him in the 9 years since that night, he has his suspicions on his identity but I never found out what those suspicions were," Naruko replied.
For the next few hours, the two of them talked and laughed about various different things before seeing how dark it was and decided to call it a night. They said their goodbyes before heading back to their respective homes.
We've certainly learnt a lot of important information today, haven't we, Morgan said.
There's a powerful man out there that can match Minato in a fight, and has a grudge against the Hidden Leaf Village, Haruto replied.
If he's released the Nine-Tails once before, it only makes sense he would try again in the future which puts Naruko in danger, Morgan said.
I won't let that happen, no one will ever take a precious person of mine from me ever again, Haruto said vehemently.
Good, use that desire to get stronger and let no one stand in your path to greatness, Morgan said.